Expansion-bracelet.



M. MEGUROWSKY.

EXPANSION BRACELET.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18. 1917.

1,59,5&%. Patented Mar. 19,1918.

" A TTOR/VEV UNI 'FQE.

MAX MEGUR-OWSKY, OF NEW YDRK, N. Y.

EXPANSION-BRACELET.

Application filed June 18, 1917.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, Max MneUnowsKY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city in the county of New Yorkand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ExpansioneBracelets, Of which the tollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to expansion bracelets for watches. and is directed particularly to a novel construction ot bracelet adapted to give aharmonious and artistic ornamental effect both as a separate article of jewelry and together with the watch to which it is attached.

Bracelets of the character herein referred to are usually provided with a middle link which is permanently connected at one end to its immediately adjacent link and removably attached to the body of the bracelet by some locking means at the other end. The object of this construction is to permit of the opening of the bracelet and of the insertion ot additional links should it be desired. to increase the size of the bracelet. atches designed to be worn with these bracelets have heretofore been provided with means extending from the periphery thereof to which the bracelet may be attached. In some forms, this means consists simply of a ring-like projection into which may be inserted a lip member on either end of the bracelet. With the construction heretofore used. several ditliculties have been had. Thus. the necessity for providing a middle link which shall be readily opened in order that additional links may be inserted has resulted in a marked break iii-the continuity ot' the bracelet at the point where the locking, means is inserted. This has detracted considerably from the appearance of the bracelet and has consequently decreased the ornamental value thereot. Furthermore, the method heretofore used for attachingathebracelet to the projections extcnding'from the periphery of the watch has also caused a, loss in ornamental effect at thetwo points of attachment. In most forms, the wearers wrist shows through the attachingprojeotions and there is a break in the continuity of the bracelet and watch at the points of attachmen I One object, therefore, of thisinventionis to provide an expansion bracelet which shall have means for the easy opening thereof and Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Serial No. 175,256.

the insertion of additional links when dcsired and yet be continuous throughout in appearance, there being no marked break at the point where the additional. links may be inserted.

Another object of this invention is to provide an expansion bracelet oi thenature described which shall be attachable to a watch in such a way as to produce a continuous ornamental effect therewith, there being no break at the points of attachment of the bracelet to the watch.

A further object oi this invention is to provide an expansion bracelet which shall be neat and artistic in appearance, simple in construction and cheap to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the detailed description and the features of novelty will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing accompanying this specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective-view showing an embodiment of this invention attached to a watch having ring-like projections extending from the periphery thereof.

Fig. 2 is a plan view partly broken away showing an embodiment of this invention attached to a'watch in which the attaching means extendii'ig from the periphery thereof consists of two small projecting sockets in which is held a small pin.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a shell of the link used in the novel bracelet.

Fig. & is a. plansectional view through the links to one side of the middle separable link.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed section. taken along line 5-5 of Fig. e.

Fig. 6 is a section similar to that ot Fig. 4 taken through the middle link and through one link on either side thereof with the looking means not in place.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 with the locking meansin place in the middle link.

8 is a plan .viewot several links of the bracelet including the middle link showing the smooth continuous bracelet surface exposed when in use.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the middle link, and

Fig..10 isaplan.v view ofan end link.

Referring in detail to the drawmgmlO is the newly improved bracelet attached to the watch ll in a manner hereinafter to be described, and provided with a separable middle link 12, the construction of which will more fully hereinafter appear.

The bracelet 10'is of the type known to the trade as an expansion bracelet and consists of a shell portion 13 and a link portion 14- within which is housed a spring The link portion 14: is formed from a piece of metal of suitable width by bending the same as at 16, so as to provide an outer exposed surface 17 and a bottom face 18 designed to contact withthe wearers wrist. The ma terial of the exposed face 17 is bent around beneath the face 18 as at 19 so that the link member is thus closed at both ends and open at its sides. The shell 13 is made of one piece of material and consists of two side portions 20 and 20 and a transverse portion 7 its upper face flush with the top walls 24:, as

Both the portlons are bent into an are clearly shown in the drawing. shell and link as shown.

To lock the shell, the side portion 20 has an extension 26 at one end having two small transverse projections 27 and the side portion 20 is provided with a similar extension 26 having two recesses 28 adapted to receive the projections 27. The extension 26 is adapted to pass under the extension 2e; and to lock the shell, the projections 27 are folded into the recesses 26. I

As will be clear from the drawing, one end of the spring 15 rests against the folded end 16of the link portion and the other end rests against'the opposite transverse end of the shell portion, so that when the bracelet is expanded, the spring 15 is compressed between these two retaining ends. With the exception ofthe middle link, each link is connected to the one adjacent thereto by means of the inturned portion 19 which engages the transverse end of the adjacent shell portion.

The particular construction of the separa lc middle link and the method of its connection to the body of the bracelet will now be described. As will be clear from the drawing, the middle link 12 is permanently attached at one end to its adjacent link by means of a ring 29 passing through the transverse ends of the two links. This ring 29 is (if such size and shape as to present an outer surface continuous with the exposed surface of the body of the bracelet, and thus no'break is apparent at this point of attachmentand the artistic effect of the bracelet is thus preserved. At the other end, this link 12 is separably attached to its adjacent link by means of a locking device 30 which will now be described.

As will be seen from the drawing, this middle link 12 is open at the end not designed to be attached permanently to the body of the bracelet. This link 12 has a shorter link portion 17, the latter being cut away and open as at 31, the sides 20,and 20 of the shell'portion passing beyond this cutaway link portion as shown at 32. The top face of this link portion is formed with a downturned end 33 transversely thereof-for a purpose hereinafter to be explained. 7

The locking device consists of a piece of metal, preferably the same as that of the bracelet links, and bent back on itself as at 34, to form one long portion 35, terminating in a loop 36 and another shorter portion 37 disposed above said longportion bent at right angles near the end thereof as at 38, and terminating in a projection 39 formed by bending the end upward and then cloubling this bent portion on itself, there being thus formed a notch 40 between the bent portion 38 and the projection 39. The looking device is permanently attached at one end by means of the loop 36 to the adjacent bracelet link while the other end is adapted to enter the middle link through the opening at 31, the portion 37 being forced downagainst the portion 35. The material of which the locking means is constructed is somewhat springy, and when the portions 35 and 37 have-been inserted into the link 12, the portion 37 will be forced up by spring action till the walls of the notch 40 are pressed against the downturned end 33 I of the middle link, thus locking the latter securely to the body of the bracelet as shown in Fig. 7. Should it be desired to open the bracelet, one needs simply to press down *ith his thumb on the projection 39, bringing the notch down out of contact with the down-turned end 33 and then simply pull the portions 35 and 37 out from the link12. In order that there should be substantially no break in the continuity of the bracelet at the locking point of the middle link, the portion 37 is made only a little shorter than the portion 35 and the projection 39 is bent toward the loop 36, so that when the lock is in place, the said projection and loop are closely adjacent to each other with no appreciable space between them and form a continuous portion of the outer surface of the bracelet as shown at 4:1 in Fig. 8;

The particular construction of the end links of the bracelet will now be described. The link portion of the end link is formed with an extended portion 42 extending beyond the walls of the corresponding shell portion and is curved down so as to fill in the space between the periphery of the watch and the attaching means extending To provide effective engaging means between the end links and the attaching means on the watch, a lip portion is formed by bending the extendi portion 42 down underneath the lower face of the e d link anti cutting away thematerial to rm a hook integral with the link portion of the end link and adapted to engage the a taching means on the watch. In this way, th bracelet may be attached to either form of atinching in cans extendin from the per phery of the watch shown in Figs. 1 and Q, the lock device being completely hidden fron view and the end link reaching on each side clear up to the periphery of the watch. The watch and bracelet as shown in the dra ving thus form one continuous artistic ornament throughout, there being substantially no breaks or spaces such as must of necessity occur in the constructions heretofore used.

It will be noted that the shell. portion the link is formed with flat parallel side walls 22 as distinguished from the con walls provided heretofore. lhis construction makes possible wider bracelet of no more than the usual thickness and gives a more ornamental efi'ect.

It will thus be clear that this invention provides an improved expansion bi which is free from the disadvantages of bracelets of this character as heretofore made in that its construction is such as to allow of the insertion of additiot .1l links and its attachment to a watch with any form of attaching means without breaks or gaps in the bracelet itself or in the continuity of the bracelet and watch as a single article of ornament.

laving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Fatent is 1. An expansion bracelet comprising a plurality of interconnected eXpansible links and means for opening the bracelet, said means comprising a separable link, means for attaching the end of said separable link to the bracelet link adjacent that end, said means comprising a connecting member shaped to present an outer surface flush with the bracelet surface and fill in the space therebetween and the said separable link, and locking means for separably taching the other end tie bracelet l adjacent said last mentioned end. said mean. adapted to enter said separable link to be locked therein and having a link having means at one end for perma nently securing said link to the body of the bracelet, said means comprising a ring member presenting an outer surface flush with the bracelet surface and filling in the space therebetween and the'said separablelin'k, and locking means for separably iittaching the other end to the body of the'brac elet, said locking means adapted to enter said separable link and to be locked therein, and having a portion thereof ektending into the space between the body of the bracelet and the separable link, said portion presenting a surface flush with the surface of the bracelet and forming an ornamental continuation thereof.

3. In an expansion bracelet, a separable link having means at one end for permanently securing said link to the body of the bracelet, said means comprising a ring member presenting a curved outer surface adapted to be flush with the bracelet surface and to fill in the space therebetween and the said separable link, and locking means for separably attaching the other end to the body of the bracelet, said locking means adapted to enter said separable link and to be locked therein, and provided at one end thereof with a stud portion for the manipulation. of the locking means, said stud portion adapted to fill in the space between the body of the bracelet and the separable link, said portion presenting a surface flush with the surface of the bracelet and forming an ornamental continuation thereof.

4. In an expansion bracelet, a separable link having means at one end for permanently securing said link to the body of the bracelet, said means comprising a ring member presenting a curved outer surface adapted to be flush with the bracelet surface and to fill in the space therebetween and the said separable link, and locking means for separably attaching the other end to the body of the bracelet, said locking means being formed of one piece of material bent back on itself, one portion thereof terminating in a loop adapted to be permanently attached to the body of the bracelet and the other portion terminating in a stud for the manipulation of the locking means, said loop portion and stud adapted to fill in the space between the body of the bracelet and the separable link, said portion presenting a surface flush with the surface of the bracelet and forming an ornamental continuation thereof.

5. An expansion bracelet formed of two parts, each comprising a plurality of interconnected expansible links, locking means for separably interlocking said parts, said locking means comprising a separable link, means for securing said separable link to one end of said parts and means for remov ably attaching said link to the correspond ing end of the other part, said means comprising a locking member adapted to enter said separable link and having a portion thereof adapted to fill in the space between the body of the bracelet and the separable link, said portion presenting a surface flush with the surface of the bracelet and forming an ornamental continuation thereof, and each of said parts having at the free end thereof engaging means comprising a lip portion formed With an extended hook portion integral therewith and disposed beneath said lip portion to be thus hidden from 10 View. 7 p V Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 4th day of June, A. D. 1917.

' MAX MEGUROWSKY; Witnesses:

MORRIS KIRSCHSTEIN, M. S. MILLER.v

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C. 

